Abstract
The Miller-Isard hypothesis that people attempt to process multiply self-embedded sentences as recursively interrupted sub-routines was critically examined. Results of a sentence comprehension test showed that Ss perceive such sentences as ungrammatical approximations to sentences with one embedding rather than as multiply embedded structures. The Miller-Isard hypothesis appeared irrelevant to the actual processing performance of the naive Ss.
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Miller, G. A., & Chomsky, N. Finitary models of language users. In R. D. Luce, R. Bush, & E. Galanter (Eds.), Handbook of mathematical psychology. Vol. II, New York: Wiley, 1963. Chapter 13, pp. 419–491.
Miller, G. A., & Isard, S. Free recall of self-embedded English sentences. Inform. Control, 1964, 7, 292–303.
Yngve, V. H. A model and an hypothesis for language structure. Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc., 1960, 104, 444–466.
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This research was supported by the U. S. Department of Defense, Advanced Research Projects Agency, Contract SD-187, to Harvard University, Center for Cognitive Studies.
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Blumenthal, A.L. Observations with self-embedded sentences. Psychon Sci 6, 453–454 (1966). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03328087
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03328087